A complex mental health condition that has affected countless people all over the world is none other than bipolar disorder. This mental health related disease is very complicated in nature and it has an ability to affect the overall life of a human. The important thing that is notable here is that many people underestimate this multifaceted medical disease. That’s why they fail to understand what its symptoms, cause and ways of effective treatment are.
If we talk about medically bipolar disorder is actually a mood disorder. This mood disorder swings and this swing is actually severe from high to lows. High swing comes in emotional ways while low results in depression. The nature of mood swings can be very dangerous and can directly affect the daily routine of a human.
One thing that makes it really very challenging is its unpredictability. It is important to note that mood swings can occur suddenly and remain active for days or even months. So in this article we are going to explain what bipolar disorder actually is and what are its symptoms, causes and treatment options. So don’t go anywhere else because this article is going to be very important and informative for you.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disease is actually a psychiatric issue whose main connection is with the brain. This disorder creates unusual changes in mood, energy level, and the overall ability to perform daily routine work. In our daily routine we examine normal ups and downs in our mood but in case of bipolar disorder this shift in mood is more severe than the others. Due to its complexity bipolar disorder can be classified into more types such as bipolar 1 disorder, bipolar 2 disorder, cyclothymic disorder and others related to that.
Bipolar Disorder Symptoms
It is really very important to understand its symptoms in order to treat it more effectively and comprehensively. There are some basic symptoms of bipolar medical disorder that includes manic episode symptoms, depressive episodes symptoms and hypomanic episodes symptoms. Let’s talk about some indications of all three types of symptoms.
Manic Episode Symptoms
In case of manic episode symptoms a person feels some extra happiness. Energy level of the affected person increases and its sleep reduces to a greater extent. The power decision of a person in case of manic episode symptoms decreases. One dangerous sign in a manic episode is the change in a behavior. Person in this condition engages in most dangerous activities and behaviors.
Depressive Episodes Symptoms
An affected person in depressive episode symptoms feels sadness and helplessness. A person loses interest in those activities once he enjoyed before. His diet and weight starts to change. In this Situation people feel much difficulty sleeping. Depressive episode symptoms are very dangerous because in this scenario an affected people think of a suicide or death. Energy level of that person automatically reduces, which is not a very good sign.
Hypomanic Episode Symptoms
Hypomanic episode symptoms are somehow similar to manic episodes with some less severity. When a person starts to react more aggressively and confidently than before, it means there is a possibility of a bipolar disorder. A person in a hypomanic episode feels irritation and reacts aggressively.
Causes of Bipolar Disorder
It is really very difficult to talk about exact causes of bipolar disorder but there are several things that are responsible for this complex medical disease. Let’s talk about one by one.
Genetics
Genetic factors are responsible for bipolar disorder. It has the ability to run in families. Those persons who are first degree relatives such as parents or siblings and have bipolar disorder have more chances to develop this risk themselves.
Biological Factors
There are certain biological factors that can result in bipolar disorder. The neuroimaging studies have found that there is a difference in size and activity of brain level in different people of different regions who have bipolar disorder. So studies show that there is different brain structure and functions in different people. This is because of the abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala.
Besides that, due to the lack of balance in neurotransmitters bipolar disorder happens. Neurotransmitters are actually chemical messengers located in the brain. The function of the chemical is to regulate mood and behavior. So any disturbance in these chemical messengers can affect overall mood and behavior.
The imbalance of hormones, especially those hormones that have a direct relationship to hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis can be the result of change in mood and other important symptoms related to bipolar medical disease.
Environmental Factors
Environmental factors such as stressful life events, the abuse of substance and the disturbance in sleeping also plays their part in contributing to bipolar disorder.
Sometimes stressful events in life, death of a loved one or financial crisis can lead to bipolar disorder.
The use of alcohol or drugs in an excessive amount can change the swing of mood episodes. Similarly the imbalance in sleeping can create manic or depressive episodes of bipolar disorder.
Psychological Factors
Psychological factors such as bad experience of early life or some personality characteristics such as high level of neuroticism or impulsivity are also one of the major contributing factors towards bipolar disorder.
Medical Conditions
There is a lot of possibility that other medical conditions such as comorbid disorders and thyroid dysfunction can occur simultaneously with bipolar disorder. The creation of these medical conditions adds more severity in the current situation.
Treatment Options
After a proper diagnosis there comes an important step and that is treatment. Now there comes an important question in mind that what treatment options are left in case of bipolar disorder. Here we will talk about the important treatment options that you can avail. Let’s have a look.
Medications
When you confirm that you are facing bipolar medical disorder then the first step that you can take is to go towards medicine. There are a lot of medicines that you can take. Let’s talk about it in detail.
Mood Stabilizers
The use of mood stabilizers such as lithium, Valproate and Carbamazepine and Lamotrigine can help in different phases of bipolar disorders. The important thing here is to consult your professional physician before taking any type of medicine.
Antipsychotics
You can take first generation antipsychotics and second generation antipsychotics in case of bipolar disorder. When we talk about second generation antipsychotics, Risperidone, olanzapine, Quetiapine and Aripiprazole are most effective especially in the case of manic. First generation antipsychotics can also be used but they have more side effects as compared to the second generation.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants can be used sometime to treat depressive episodes of bipolar disorder. In most of the cases its combination with mood stabilizer is used.
Psychotherapy
There are several psychotherapies like cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, psycho education and family therapy that actually help patients in order to identify issues and resolve them in a comprehensive manner.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
It is really very important to keep your life in a moderate gear. Moderation is the only key to success in this regard. With positive changes in lifestyle and by the use of home remedies you can get rid of bipolar disorder to a greater extent. Take regular exercises and keep a healthy diet in your daily routine. Try to reduce stress and anxiety from your life and take stress management techniques for example yoga etc.
Other Treatments
You can also use some other treatment options as well such as electroconvulsive therapy which is primarily used in case of severe type of depression. Besides that, transcranial magnetic stimulation is also an effective way to stimulate Nerve cells in the brain. This type of therapy is mostly used in that case when you are depressed and remains consistent. If you feel that you have a type of depression, just go to your nearest healthcare Center for hospitalization. Consult your professional doctor for a better treatment.
Self Management Options
Try to use self management options for better diagnosis and recovery treatment. It is really better to know your mood behaviors in your daily routine. For this purpose, if a patient feels that he is suffering from bipolar disorder then it is better to join support groups related to this complicated disease.
Conclusion
Bipolar disorder is a complicated mental health disease whose characteristics change in extreme mood swings. Unfortunately it has no proper treatment discovered yet but with the help of effective strategies of a treatment you can manage its symptoms in time. There are several indications or symptoms of bipolar disorder. So if you or anyone else sees the symptoms as mentioned in the above article consult a qualified mental health Care professional. Comprehensive diagnosis is really very important for better treatment. You can also manage bipolar disorder through proper treatment, support groups and some therapies which we have mentioned very deeply in this detailed article.